Further investigation was required. Three years after a Legionella outbreak that sickened 88 people and killed 15 in October 2020, the Ministry of Justice has closed its investigation into cases in the municipalities of Vila do Conde, Povoa de Varzim and Matosinhos.
Thus, the case ends without anyone to blame. However, the prosecutor, JN points out, argues that the delay in the investigation made it easier to eliminate potential sources of infection. There was also a shortage of crops and people on the land, largely due to the pandemic and self-isolation.
On-site inspections began only 11 days after the first Legionella diagnosis was made. Samples were collected from refrigerated towers of companies (such as Longa Vida and Ramirez) and analyzes were performed on the secretions of 31 of the 88 patients. Only in Long Life were bacteria alive. Despite this, the Ricardo Jorge Institute’s results showed no overlap between the strains. Therefore, it was never possible to specifically determine the origin of this deadly infection.
Author: morning Post
Source: CM Jornal
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